Baccalaureate: Guidelines for Inspirational Worship Services to Honor Graduates

Graduation is a time of new beginnings. The old chapter has come to an end, and the time has come to turn the page. The Baccalaureate service offers loved ones a time to pray a blessing over graduates of high school and university and to send them on their way. It reminds them to seek guidance from the Lord as they start down a new path. Unfortunately, in recent times, the Baccalaureate service has fallen out of practice in many circles, foregoing the opportunity to "influence the lives of young people on the threshold of impacting our world," as Pam Williams states in her introduction. Baccalaureate: Guidelines for Inspirational Worship Services to Honor Graduates seeks to reverse this trend, reviving the practice of planting graduates on solid spiritual footing as they chart a new path for their lives. This resource contains everything needed to get a Baccalaureate service up and running. A time line for preparation; sample letters and press releases to churches, schools, and local media; an order of worship; plus sample sermons are all included to ensure that your service is a success. Baccalaureate: Guidelines for Inspirational Worship Services to Honor Graduates is essential to reviving the Baccalaureate service tradition in your community, covering your new graduates in prayer and blessings as they spread their wings and take flight. Pamela D. Williams has been a pastor's wife for over thirty years. A mother and grandmother, she has a B. A. in English from Shipensburg University. She is actively involved in all the ministries at Everett United Methodist Church in Everett, Pennsylvania. A freelance writer, she has had stories published in a variety of publications, including Traveling Calvary's Road: From Ash Wednesday Through Easter (CSS), Decision, Upper Room, and Chicken Soup For The Soul: Stories For A Better World.